Infrastructure Typology of Metro Stations: A Passenger Simulation Approach Based on Efficiency and Capacity

The efficiency of a metro station is determined by the transfer capacity it has on the platform. This is the critical area and the primary motivation for this research. This study analyzed the impact of platform typology on the efficiency and capacity of metro stations. Through the study, the simulation of different typologies, the design logic of the station was analyzed from the ground up, examining each of its components from both a physical and operational perspective. To evaluate the efficiency and capacity of a platform configuration, Fruin’s level of service or LOS is used to compare the efficiency across different platform typologies, allowing for the quantification of constraints within the platform configuration. The platform configuration, access points, and connectors impact the station’s transfer capacity. This configuration must align with the environmental conditions and the station’s role within the system as a whole. The mixed-platform station configuration is twice as efficient as a central platform station and slightly more efficient than a side-platform station, with variations depending on station usage, environment, and position within the network. Under symmetric flow conditions, the side platform is more efficient, reaching a LOS D (density between 1.54 and 3.57 passengers/m2). Under asymmetric flow conditions, the central platform is more efficient, reaching a LOS D. However, under both symmetric and asymmetric flow conditions, the mixed platform is more efficient than the two previous configurations, and this design is proposed as the most suitable for transfer station designs, reaching a LOS D. A modular station design is proposed, where a mixed station is built with the capacity to expand based on increased passenger demand. This means constructing a central-platform station initially, and when the capacity is reached (LOS = E or density of 5.26 passengers/m2), the second phase is built, adding lateral platforms, thus converting it into a mixed station and doubling its capacity.